The Last Conversation
1128 Words
Viktoria woke before sunrise.
For a few seconds, she remained still beneath the sheets, staring at the ceiling.
Then she remembered.
Her grandfather.
His office.
The conversation he had promised her.
She glanced at the clock.
5:47 a.m.
She smiled faintly.
"Too early."
She turned over and closed her eyes again, but sleep refused to return.
Her grandfather had always been good at making her curious.
Whatever he wanted to show her, she was determined to find out.
By six-thirty, Viktoria was already dressed.
She left her room and walked through the quiet hallway.
The estate was unusually silent.
Most of the household staff wouldn't begin their morning routines for another hour.
Viktoria reached the staircase.
Then she heard it.
A sound.
Faint.
Almost like something hitting the floor.
She stopped.
Her eyes narrowed.
It came from the opposite wing.
Her grandfather's wing.
Viktoria immediately changed direction.
She quickened her pace.
Another sound followed.
Then—
The alarm rang.
The entire estate erupted into noise.
Red emergency lights flashed along the corridor.
Doors opened.
Footsteps thundered from every direction.
Viktoria ran.
"What's happening?" someone shouted.
"Get the doctor!"
"Lock the eastern entrance!"
Viktoria pushed through the crowd.
"Move!"
Nobody dared stop her.
She reached her grandfather's room.
Two guards were already standing outside.
"Lady Viktoria—"
"What happened?"
"We don't know."
She pushed the door open.
Her grandfather was lying on the bed.
His face was pale.
Far too pale.
A servant stood beside him, trembling.
The household doctor was examining him.
Marcus arrived seconds later.
"What happened to him?"
The doctor didn't answer immediately.
He checked her grandfather's pulse again.
"His condition is deteriorating."
Viktoria stepped closer.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Her eyes hardened.
"You don't know?"
"There are no obvious injuries. No signs of trauma."
"Then what's wrong with him?"
The doctor looked at her.
"I need to run some tests."
Her grandfather's eyes opened.
Slowly.
He looked around the room.
Then his gaze found Viktoria.
She moved toward him immediately.
"Grandfather."
His lips moved.
She leaned closer.
"What?"
His fingers reached for her hand.
They were cold.
Too cold.
"Viktoria..."
"I'm here."
He tried to speak again.
His voice was barely audible.
"The... office..."
She swallowed.
"You wanted to show me something."
His eyes widened slightly.
He nodded.
Marcus stepped closer.
"What is he saying?"
Her grandfather's gaze shifted toward him.
For a moment, something unreadable passed through his eyes.
Then he looked back at Viktoria.
"Your..."
His breathing became uneven.
"Your mother..."
Viktoria froze.
"My mother?"
Her grandfather struggled to continue.
Marcus moved closer.
"Father, what about her?"
The old man ignored him.
His eyes remained fixed on Viktoria.
"Not..."
He coughed.
Viktoria tightened her grip around his hand.
"Take it easy."
He shook his head.
"No... time."
Her heart began pounding.
"What are you trying to tell me?"
His lips moved.
"The truth..."
Viktoria leaned closer.
"About what?"
"Her death..."
Everything inside her went still.
Her mother's death had never been a subject the family discussed.
She had been told the story when she was young.
Her mother had died when Viktoria was born.
There had never been anything more to it.
At least, that was what she believed.
"What about my mother?"
Her grandfather struggled to breathe.
"Not... accident."
Viktoria's eyes widened.
"What?"
Marcus stepped forward.
"Father."
The old man's eyes remained on Viktoria.
"Find..."
His voice faded.
Viktoria bent closer.
"Find who?"
"The Wells..."
She frowned.
"The Wells family?"
He nodded weakly.
"Second..."
His fingers tightened around hers.
"Second child..."
Viktoria's mind raced.
The Wells family had two children.
Everyone in their world knew the name.
But the second child—
Elias.
Why him?
"What about Elias Wells?"
Her grandfather's eyes widened.
For one brief second, Viktoria saw something in them.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
"Find..."
His voice broke.
Viktoria leaned closer.
"Find Elias?"
He nodded.
"Why?"
His lips moved.
But no sound came out.
"Grandfather?"
His grip loosened.
"Grandfather?"
The monitor beside the bed changed.
A long, continuous tone filled the room.
The doctor immediately moved forward.
"Everyone back."
Viktoria didn't move.
"Grandfather?"
The doctor tried to revive him.
Marcus grabbed Viktoria by the arm.
"Come out."
She pulled away.
"No."
"Viktoria."
"No!"
Her voice cracked.
The room fell silent.
The monitor continued its relentless tone.
Then the doctor slowly stopped.
He looked at Marcus.
"I'm sorry."
Viktoria stared at her grandfather.
Just hours ago, he had smiled at her.
He had told her that tomorrow he would show her something.
He had promised her there was something she needed to know.
And now he was gone.
Her grandfather was dead.
Before anyone could say another word, Viktoria looked down at her hand.
She could still feel his fingers around hers.
The Wells.
The second child.
Her mother's death.
Three fragments.
That was all he had managed to leave her.
But somehow, Viktoria knew they were connected.
She looked toward Marcus.
He was staring at the body in silence.
For the first time in her life, she wondered whether her father knew more about her mother than he had ever told her.
And that thought frightened her more than her grandfather's death.
---
By morning, the estate had become a fortress.
Every entrance was guarded.
Every member of staff was questioned.
The family doctor arrived with additional specialists.
Viktoria stood outside her grandfather's room as they examined the body.
Hours passed.
Finally, one of the doctors stepped into the hallway.
His expression was grim.
"We've found something."
Marcus turned.
"What?"
The doctor hesitated.
"There is something unusual in his system."
Viktoria's eyes narrowed.
"Poison?"
The doctor looked at her.
"We believe so."
Silence.
Marcus's expression hardened.
"Can you identify it?"
"Not yet."
"How long will it take?"
"I don't know."
Viktoria looked through the open doorway.
Someone had murdered her grandfather.
And whoever had done it had made certain that no one would know immediately.
She touched the silver crown around her neck.
Then she remembered his final words.
Find the Wells.
The second child.
Elias.
Viktoria slowly turned toward the hallway.
For twenty years, she had believed she knew everything she needed to know about the Draven empire.
She knew its history.
Its enemies.
Its alliances.
Its rules.
She had been trained for the throne since she was sixteen.
There were no secrets about the empire she had been kept from.
But this wasn't about the empire.
It was about her.
Her mother.
And a man named Elias Wells.
Viktoria looked toward the windows.
The sun had finally risen.
A new day had begun.
But for her, nothing would ever be the same again.
Because her grandfather had died with a secret.
And he had left her only one way to uncover it.
Find Elias Wells.
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